Immediately

(Based on Matthew 14:24-31)

The disciples were in a boat trying to fight off a fierce storm in the wee hours of the morning. Jesus came to them, as he comes to us, to help. In this case, he came to them unusually by walking on the water toward them. Jesus doesn’t always come to us in the way we are expecting. The disciples were already scared because of the storm and now, they must have thought that their eyes were playing tricks on them. Jesus, out in the middle of the sea, was walking on the water!

Immediately, Jesus knew what they were thinking and told them not to be afraid. He had come to help them. In the same way, Jesus knows when we are afraid and need help. We don’t even have to vocalize it. He can hear our spirit crying.

Immediately, Peter called out to Jesus. He wanted to know if the apparition he was seeing really was the Lord. We too shouldn’t be afraid to pose questions to Jesus or even voice our doubts. When we do, Jesus simply answers, as he did with Peter. Peter knew that if it was indeed Jesus then maybe he could walk on the water toward him. This must have been true because Jesus said, “Yes, come.” Our trust in the Lord can even lead to defying the odds.

Immediately, Peter stepped out of the boat and actually walked on the water toward Jesus. With God, anything is possible. However, defying the odds is only possible when we keep our eyes on the Lord and keep trusting in Him to get us through. After the brief moment of Peter walking on the water, he made the mistake of looking around him at the wind and waves. Jesus no longer captivated him; he was terrified of his circumstances and began to sink.

Immediately, Jesus lifted Peter up out of the roiling water. The Lord is always there to save us when we’re in trouble. Then, when we’re safely out of harm’s way, he may speak to us about our small faith giving way to our doubts.

The Lord is immediately there when we need him so, in turn, our trust and obedience needs to be immediately there for him. However, this is a life-long learning process, so don’t feel guilty or ashamed when sinking becomes your reality. Just thank God for getting you out of trouble and learn another lesson.

What area do you need to doubt less and keep your eyes on Jesus more?